The Zoologist— March, 1866. 145 



The great bustard is extinct in England — it is still in existence on the plains of Asia 

 and central Europe. Will any sportsman who shoots one cut off its head and neck 

 (leaving the latier as long as possible), put them in spirit, and send them lo England? 

 I should be most happy to make the dissection if I were entrusted with the specimen. 

 It should be borne in mind that the males only are credited with the possession of 

 this singular structure. Tn order to avoid some confusion, I may add that in his 

 'British Birds' Mr. Yarrell figures the gular pouch of the great bustard, but in a 

 subsequent communication to the Royal Society, in which he described the dissection 

 of the animal, he denied the existence of the sac. Truly it is a puzzling question. — 

 W. JB. Teyelmeier, in ihe ' Field ' Netvspaper, 



Moorhens perching in Trees. — Wiih regard to moorhens perching in trees, I may 

 mention that it is an everyday occurrence on the banks of the Boyne. This river is 

 frequented by great numbers of these birds, which, when flushed from the marshy 

 grounds on its borders, should there be no trees close at hand, invariably fly across 

 the river and alight in the fir and thorn trees on the sleep banks of the opposite sides. 

 They do not remain long in the trees, but generally fly to the ground and creep about 

 among the cover. I saw the other day more than a dozen in one whitethorn. — 

 W. Vincent Legge ; 48, Waterloo Road, Dublin. 



Purple Sandpiper at Easlhourne. — A man named Weller Sayers, fisherman, 

 brought me (October 3Ist), for sale, three splendid purple sandpipers that he had just 

 shot on the beach, near the Marine Parade. I never saw or handled one, in the flesh, 

 before, but I feel confident that they occur here occasionally, but are overlooked.— 

 John Dullon, Eastbourne. 



American Bittern in Kent. — I saw to-day a stuffed specimen of the North American 

 bittern (Botaurus lentiginosa) in the shop of Mr. Craig, birdstuffer, at Canterbury, who 

 appeared to consider it as only a small example of the common bittern, and who 

 informed me that it was killed, twelve years ago, about three miles from the city of 

 Canterbury. As I had no means of testing the accuracy of this statement, and as the 

 specimen was in bad order from dust and exposure, I did not inquire if it was fur 

 sale, but I think the circumstauce of my having met with it worth naming, as it may 

 give your ornithological readers in Kent an opportunity of inquiring further as to 

 whether this specimen can be really identified as having been obtained in that county. 

 I may add that I have only once seen this rare bird in the flesh, and that was in 

 December, 1851, when a specimen, killed in Anglesea, was sent to London for pre- 

 servation, and was shown lo me before it was skinned. — J. H. Gurnet/, in the '■Field' 

 Newspaper. 



Great Northern Diver near Bridport.— On the 23rd of December a disabled speci- 

 men of the great northern diver was captured at Symondsbury, near Bridport, about 

 three miles from the sea. — /. L. Langdun Fulford ; Bridport. 



Sea Birds at Malahide.—Oa the 31st of January I went to Malahide with a friend. 

 The following were among the fowl we observed there, during a row on the lake at 

 high water. The upper part of the lake was covered with large flocks of widgeon, with 

 here and there a few brent geese. They were very shy and restless, getting up when 

 we were within a quarter of a mile of them. The geese flew out to sea when put up. 

 There were a few wild ducks in company with the widgeons. We saw and chased 

 several great northern divers, but they dived to an immense distance. One fellow 

 I observed on the wing several times : he would splash out of the water, flap along the 

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